No-Mow-May: Experts say not so fast

Local lawn care experts want you to think twice before you jump on the #NoMowMay bandwagon this year.

The campaign has spread widely on social media in recent years, urging people to stop cutting their grass for the month in an effort to boost habitat and food for bees and other pollinators.

The idea originated in England before spreading to the Midwest, where it was embraced by environmental groups and some local and state governments. But, experts say the mowing hiatus doesn't actually help bees all that much and could ruin your lawn.

Experts from Ohio State University's large turfgrass science department in its College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have done some research on the subject and concluded it's a pretty bad idea. The approach has a few major flaws, says Mike Hogan, an associate professor and extension agent at OSU specializing in sustainable agriculture and urban food systems. Among them, he says:

• Dandelions, which would be the primary pollen source for bees if you let your lawn go, actually peak in April in our area.
• Even if you did hit peak dandelion bloom in May, the weed's flowers aren't actually a high quality source of pollen for honey bees, especially compared to native flowers, shrubs and trees.
• Finally, letting your lawn go for a month and then mowing it back down is a recipe for a patchy mess of turf because it would expose what has become the tender crown of the grass.

Furthermore, an academic study supporting the theory that a month off from mowing helps bees was retracted in 2022.

Supporters of the no-mow campaign say it's raised awareness of the negative environmental impacts of grass lawns. There are studies that show limiting mowing to once every two to three weeks throughout the growing season increases the number and types of bees drawn to suburban yards.

If you are looking for ways to support bees on your property, there are lots of other options to look at, including installing pollinator gardens of local perennials that provide season-long nourishment to bees and encouraging clover and violas to mix with existing turf, Hogan said.

If you’re looking to reduce the time you spend pushing a mower, you can always replace your existing lawn with a low- or no-mow alternative. For small areas, clover, wildflower seed or groundcover lnike Carpet sedum, Hosta or Creeping thyme may fit the bill.

no-mow grass alternatives

For larger area’s or replacing a complete lawn, you can look to hard fescue or fescue mixes.

Fine fescue is the most popular cool-season grass for a no-mow or low-mow lawn. Fescues require very little maintenance. They are hardy and naturally crowd out weeds, so you don’t have to worry about fertilizer or herbicides often. By planting hard fescue or certain fine fescue mixes, you’ll only have to mow your lawn once or twice a year.

For fine fescue grass blends, go with No-Mow-Lawn, Eco-Lawn, or Let It Grow seed mixes. A 5-pound bag of seed costs approximately $50, and it will cover 1,000 square feet.

Here are the best fescue varieties and their strengths:

• Bunch-forming fine fescues like hard fescue and sheep fescue are highly drought- and heat-tolerant.
• Chewing fescue prevents weeds and grows well in shady and dry areas.
• Creeping red fescue resists drought, thrives in the shade, and can repair damaged spots on your lawn by binding to other grasses.

No matter how you approach it, you can support a healthy ecosystem on your property and keep up on your maintenance at the same time.

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